You should watch Naruto, a friend said offhandedly last year. It was innocent enough, but when I was scrolling through Netflix in late 2021 and saw the yellow-haired kid with a flamboyant orange jacket, I decided to give it a shot. It was either this early aughts Japanese cartoon or a new season of some half-assed dating show. At least, thats how I reasoned it at the time.

A year later, Ive become deeply invested in anime, watching all of Naruto and Naruto Shippuden in about six months, binging my way through Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen, and about half of Bleach and Boruto. Ive nearly finished InuYasha and seen parts of both Hunter x Hunter and The Seven Deadly Sins. I currently have about a dozen more recommendations from friends and family alike that will consume the next two to three years of my life.

It might seem a bit odd for a near-30-something Mexican American woman to become so fervent about something considered to be childish, but reintegrating into society post-pandemic has been incredibly difficult for me. People exhaust me more than ever before, and the thought of coming home after a long day of social interaction to watch a live-action television show full of scripted conversations is not my ideal way of relaxing anymore.